401 candidates jostle for 24 Kano Reps seats

About 401 candidates under 38 political parties are competing for 24 House of Representatives seats in Kano.

Also, 38 political parties have submitted the names of 74 candidates to contest for three senatorial seats in the state.

The head of voters’ education and publicity department, Garba Muhammad, disclosed this to PREMIUM TIMES on Thursday.

He said although they are yet to compile a comprehensive list of all candidates submitted by political parties, they have pasted the credentials of the candidates at INEC offices in federal constituencies and three senatorial districts.

He said Kano State has a total of 5,505,125 registered voters, comprising those who registered before 2011 and 2015 general elections. Out of this number, 690,000 voters are yet to collect their permanent voter cards (PVC).

Mr Muhammad called on those who are yet to obtain their PVCs to seize the opportunity of the decentralization of the cards distribution to wards level and collect their cards.

“Kano office has embarked on massive public sensitization on PVCs distribution through media such as radio and TV programmes, jingles and announcements.

“We are also holding stakeholders meeting both at state and local government level whereby we implored all election stakeholders forum which include political parties, religious leaders, civil society organizations and traditional institutions to assist the commission in mobilizing people to come forward and collect their PVCs,” Mr Muhammad said.

On people with special needs, INEC’s Kano spokesperson said the commission has established a people living with disabilities’ (PWD) desk to assist physically challenged persons in electoral processes.

“INEC allow blind persons to go into a cubicle with a trusted person to assist them in voting candidates of their choice.

“Now INEC (has) commenced production of special ballot papers that will enable blind persons vote without assistance,” Mr Muhammad revealed.